Grand Soul Story

About

Grand Soul Story is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Moon Soul Games and was released on March 19, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

"Grand Soul Story" is a nonlinear JRPG set in the troubled city-state of DuPont, where you must navigate competing factions and make difficult choices to reach your family in Yerdan. With a deep combat system, original score, and hand-crafted NPC interactions, this game offers a character-driven journey filled with exploration and meaningful decisions, leading to multiple endings. Created by solo-developer Jeremy Reineck, it provides an old-school challenge and immersive experience for players.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 40 reviews

story20 positive mentions

optimization1 negative mentions

The game features excellent character development, a compelling story, and rewarding exploration, making choices feel impactful.
The soundtrack is highly praised, enhancing the immersive experience with a variety of enjoyable tracks.
The world-building and atmosphere are exceptional, creating a gritty yet engaging environment that keeps players invested.

Players have reported progression-halting bugs that can severely disrupt gameplay, leading to frustration.
The early game difficulty is considered excessively high, making it challenging for players to progress without proper gear or experience.
Some players experienced issues with combat mechanics and bugs that detracted from the overall enjoyment of the game.

story
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
56%
6%
The game's story is praised for its unique and gritty narrative, strong character development, and emotional depth, reminiscent of classic JRPGs. Players appreciate the rewarding exploration and meaningful choices that impact the storyline, although some have encountered frustrating bugs and quest limitations. Overall, the combination of engaging quests, memorable characters, and a captivating soundtrack contributes to a compelling gaming experience.
- “Excellent game with great character development, a good story, and rewarding exploration; choices matter.”
- “Gritty and emotional story, but also with a lot of RPG wackiness along the way so it doesn't get too heavy.”
- “The characters, storyline, atmosphere, and environments are actually pretty unique as far as JRPGs go.”
- “Grand Soul's story isn't perfect.”
- “I have no idea what Billie's deal is, and the Dumonde quest was bugged for me, so I couldn't see its conclusion.”
- “But here's the real kicker: the storyline.”
music
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
73%
18%
9%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers highlighting it as one of the most enjoyable JRPG soundtracks they've experienced. It is praised for perfectly complementing the gameplay and enhancing the overall atmosphere, contributing significantly to the game's immersive environments and engaging narrative. Overall, the soundtrack stands out as a key element that elevates the gaming experience.
- “This is seriously one of the most enjoyable JRPG soundtracks I've ever heard.”
- “The soundtrack perfectly complemented the gameplay, and the art style alongside the map design truly stood out.”
- “What really sets it apart are the immersive environments and the incredible soundtrack.”
- “The music in this game?”
- “The music in this game?”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The gameplay is enhanced by unique mechanics that encourage players to manage party members' sobriety, adding depth to the experience. Additionally, the soundtrack, art style, and map design significantly contribute to the overall enjoyment, creating an immersive world that complements the gameplay.
- “The soundtrack perfectly complemented the gameplay, and the art style alongside the map design truly stood out.”
- “To the point where you are encouraged to maintain that party member's sobriety through gameplay mechanics as well.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by solid pixel art and a diverse soundtrack that ranges from eerie to energetic, effectively immersing players in a unique gritty cyberpunk setting. The combination of distinctive characters, storyline, and environments contributes to a captivating experience that stands out in the JRPG genre.
- “Solid pixel art, nice music, and the gritty cyberpunk atmosphere kept my interest all the way through.”
- “There's a large range of tracks, from eerie atmospheric tracks to bangers.”
- “The characters, storyline, atmosphere, and environments are actually pretty unique as far as JRPGs go.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The graphics feature a standout art style and well-designed maps that enhance the overall aesthetic, particularly with its appealing pixel art. However, the combat visuals do not match the quality of the world design, and the idle animations for characters are seen as distracting and jarring. Overall, while the visuals are strong, there are notable inconsistencies that detract from the experience.
- “The soundtrack perfectly complemented the gameplay, and the art style alongside the map design truly stood out.”
- “Aesthetically, the pixel art is nice, but the idle/breathing animations applied to each character are clearly some sort of effect and can be incredibly distracting.”
- “The combat visuals could be more aligned with the wonderfully crafted world.”
- “However, the combat system and combat visuals could be more aligned with the wonderfully crafted world.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its exceptional character development, which is intricately tied to a compelling story and meaningful player choices, enhancing the overall exploration experience.
- “Excellent game with great character development, a good story, and rewarding exploration; choices matter.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is well-executed, striking a balance between being amusing without veering into silliness, resulting in several laugh-out-loud moments that enhance the overall experience.
- “The humor sprinkled throughout the game is spot on -- it's not too silly, and just surprising enough for some laugh-out-loud moments.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's optimization on the Steam Deck has been noted to have performance issues, potentially influenced by Proton, which may affect players who prioritize a polished experience. However, some users report that these issues do not significantly detract from their enjoyment.
- “I'm on Steam Deck; not sure if Proton plays a role in the performance issues. It doesn't bother me at all, but if you need extra polish to enjoy a game, this will probably be hard for you.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The game has been reported to have some stability issues, with multiple users noting that it is "a bit buggy." Overall, while not critically unstable, these minor bugs may affect the gameplay experience.
- “The game is a bit buggy.”
- “The game is a bit buggy.”
- “The game is a bit buggy.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a gritty and emotional narrative that effectively balances its serious themes with lighthearted RPG elements, preventing the experience from becoming overly heavy.
- “Gritty and emotional story, but also with a lot of RPG wackiness along the way so it doesn't get too heavy.”